GoFundMe Set up for Victim of Fatal High-Speed Crash

As police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding a fatal high-speed crash that killed three men, family members of one of the victims have created a GoFundMe account to help pay for his funeral.

Monday, July 10th 2017, 7:38 PM EDT by Jamison Hixenbaugh

Updated:

Monday, July 10th 2017, 7:44 PM EDT

Shaytoya and Shatorya Barnes have spent the past four days in a state of disbelief.

“This just came as such a shock, it's just so tragic…we have to live with this moment from the rest of our lives,” said Shatorya Barnes. "My sister, she went up to the scene not even knowing that that was our dad all over the place."

Last Friday, their 65-year-old father Charles Barnes was one of three men killed in a high-speed crash near West 12th and Cherry Streets.

“There are no words that can even describe how we feel right now," said Shaytoya. “There are no words.”

According to his daughters, Barnes leaves behind nine children, 26 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

"He was a sweetheart,” said Shaytoya. “He was loving, caring, would do anything for you."

The Barnes sisters say that their father was best friends with the other victim Oscar Johnson, 65, who had just purchased the SUV that was involved in the crash. They say both men and third victim Willie Marshall Byrd, 72, lived in the Methodist Towers and would often hang out.

Erie police have ruled out recklessness as the cause of the deadly crash. Investigators are trying to figure out if it was the result of a medical condition or vehicle mechanical issue.

"We just don't know,” said Shaytoya. “We would really like to find out what happened to my father and his best friends."

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Barnes family pay for funeral expenses.